Shloka 8

Book 10, Adhyāya 12: Aśvatthāmā’s Request for the Cakra and the Brahmaśiras Context

Devanagari script

परमापदगतेनापि न सम तात त्वया रणे । इदमस्त्रं प्रयोक्तव्यं मानुषेषु विशेषत:,“बेटा! बड़ी-से-बड़ी आपत्तिमें पड़नेपर भी तुम्हें रणभूमिमें विशेषतः मनुष्योंपर इस अस्त्रका प्रयोग नहीं करना चाहिये”

Transliteration

paramāpadagatena api na sama tāta tvayā raṇe | idam astraṃ prayoktavyaṃ mānuṣeṣu viśeṣataḥ |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “Even if you are driven into the direst calamity, you must not resort to this weapon in battle, my son. Above all, it is not to be employed against human beings.”

Word by Word

परमin the extreme (condition)

आपद्-गतेनeven by one who has fallen into calamity

अपिeven/also

नnot

समम्equally

तातO dear son

त्वयाby you

रणेin battle

इदम्this

अस्त्रम्weapon (missile)

प्रयोक्तव्यम्should be employed / is to be used

मानुषेषुamong men / on humans

विशेषतःespecially

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

astra (weapon)

human beings (mānuṣa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches restraint in warfare: even under extreme danger, one must not employ certain devastating weapons—especially against human beings—because ethical limits (dharma) govern the use of power.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Sauptika Parva context, a warning is voiced about the improper deployment of a powerful astra. The speaker underscores that desperation in battle does not justify using such a weapon on human targets.